Just got a Sanke keg from a coworker, that he had kicking around in his garage for who knows how long. Was able to take the ring out to pull the tap/tube (?) out to drain the old beer out and start cleaning it out.
Now I need everything else, and not really sure what. I’m not looking at refrigeration at this point, but will most likely be heading there after doing some work on my bar.
Started by looking at a coupler, which needed a tail piece (which come in different lengths), beer nut and washer. What specifics for me I have no idea. Think I’m pretty flexible because I don’t really have anything
Are there kits out there that might make more sense for me, seeing as all I have now is the bare keg?
Once I find a kit or parts (think I need a coupler, CO2 tank, regulator, tubing and some kind of tap) I’ll look into how best to clean it going forward. Planning on cider, hard lemonade, maybe mead.
All that being said, no matter whether I go with a kit or parts, will I need a new ring and/or gasket, not that I’ve taken it apart?
If you are just serving and not looking to carbonate, the 9-20oz paintball tanks are an inexpensive way to get started. In the long run, fills will be more expensive than a 5, 10 or 20lb tank. A paintball tank can be found for under $20 and fills ~$3. A 5-20lb tank can run from ?? to $150. And fills are $12-$20.
Don’t waste time with paintball tanks, they are for paintball guns, not serving beer. You will be endlessly refilling and the cost for buying the parts to make them work is wasted money.
Go get a 20lb commercial tank from one of many sources such as a used restaurant supply place, Craigslist, etc. Or, just go to the local gas supplier and pay the initial fees and be done with it. Smaller tanks are never worth it unless you have a space constraint for some reason.
Also, Just because you have obtained a Sankey keg isn’t a really good reason to build a system around it. Think about a standard corny keg setup that is much friendlier to take apart and clean as you need to each time. Buying all the parts to make a system fit one part is like buying a doorknob and building a house around it.
Keg Connection is having a sale right now and I’m looking at kegs on there. Trying to piece together what I would need. A keg, regulator, picnic tap, and co2 tank would cover it right? Is it really not worth it to get a 4 or 5 lb tank though?
The difference in the cost to fill a 5lb vs a 20lb tank is usually only a couple of dollars.
A fire extinguisher shop told me he wasted more CO2 purging his lines to fill my 5lb tank than he actually put into it. Cost around $12 here for 5lb fills. Maybe $15-$17 for a 20lb.
5lbs are nice as you can find a place inside the fridge/freezer for them. But 20lbs are nice as you rarely have to get them filled.
There is no right or wrong answer. Only what works for you.
[quote=“Dean Palmer”]Don’t waste time with paintball tanks, they are for paintball guns, not serving beer. You will be endlessly refilling and the cost for buying the parts to make them work is wasted money.
Go get a 20lb commercial tank from one of many sources such as a used restaurant supply place, Craigslist, etc. Or, just go to the local gas supplier and pay the initial fees and be done with it. Smaller tanks are never worth it unless you have a space constraint for some reason.
Also, Just because you have obtained a Sankey keg isn’t a really good reason to build a system around it. Think about a standard corny keg setup that is much friendlier to take apart and clean as you need to each time. Buying all the parts to make a system fit one part is like buying a doorknob and building a house around it.[/quote]
I hear what you’re saying, and would typically agree, but in this instance, isn’t the only thing I’d need that’d be specifically for the sanke the coupler? Are the hose-to-CO2 and/or regulator fittings all different too?
Nope, the only difference is the coupler, and if you use 1/4" flare fittings on your lines you can swap out whatever couplers, homebrew or commercial that you need. The keg becomes irrelevant once you’ve spent the money on the rest of the system.
My original point was that it is better to just buy a used corny keg rather than using the sankey for homebrew. The cost of a good coupler (new) for the sankey is about the price of a corny keg and connectors. If you want to start kegging, you’ll enjoy it a lot more with corny kegs. This is especially true after you’ve worked to get the sankey clean a few times
